Page 84 of Death Wish

I didn’t interrupt. After everything they both had been through—and were going to still go through—it was probably overdue. My chest ached for them.

When they finally parted from each other, sometime later, I said, “We should go inside,” and ushered them up the staircase to the second floor apartment. I made sure to lock every door after me.

“There’s no need for that,” Laurence said as I pushed one of Kay’s heavy side tables in front of the door. Kay went straight for the kitchen to fetch drinks from the fridge.

“There are protection spells all over this apartment. I wanted to make sure that if Kay came back, she would be safe from everyone.” He frowned. “Even me, if it came down to it again.”

“No offense, but I’d feel a little safer if those spells were coming from a level three sorcerer. Maybe even level two.” I closed the blinds to both windows in the living room.

“I’ve been working on it,” he countered. “How did you know I was a level one sorcerer anyway? Better yet, who are you? Has Kay been with you this entire time?”

Guess I was the one thing he hadn’t seen while Xaver had possessed him. Maybe it was because I had still been in my spirit state and only Xaver himself had seen me.

I was about to open my mouth, but Kay beat me to it. “This is Jade Blackwell.”

She placed three glasses of what looked like orange juice on the coffee table. That was just like Kay. Even in such dire times, she was a sweetheart, thinking about everyone else. Manners for miles.

Laurence’s mouth dropped open at the mention of my name. “The spirit Jade Blackwell?” He gasped. “The one who’s been helping you this past year, who you had me look up towns and names online for?”

“And I appreciate that,” I said, and I really did. “But yes, it’s me.”

“How— How can I see you right now? Aren’t you a spirit?”

“Specifically, I’m a reaper,” I said. “I help souls pass when it’s their time and help them over into the afterlife.”

“That’s why she’s been so good at helping me keep those pesky ghosts away,” Kay said with a smile.

Laurence collapsed on the small blue sofa. “Wow, a reaper. I didn’t know they even existed.”

“That’s how it’s supposed to be,” I replied, “but things have become extra screwy in the past couple of days. On top of the whole you being possessed by a full-blooded demon and getting Kay pregnant with its spawn…”

Kay’s eyes widened in horror, and I wished with everything I had that I could have sucked those words back into my mouth and swallowed them back down.

“Wait, what?” He glanced at Kay’s stomach. “You’re—”

Maybe I should have let Kay explain that one.

She drew in a deep breath to compose herself. “Like Jade said, a lot has happened these past couple of days. I’ll fill you in.”

And she did. Quickly and efficiently, too. She told him about everything, including my newest powers, which he had witnessed firsthand, and how we had to somehow get Xaver’s blood to save her with a ritual.

When she was done, Laurence swallowed a bunch of times, as if he were doing all he could to keep the vomit from coming up. His face paled. “So now we have to find the very demon that impregnated my girlfriend and almost killed me?”

“To be fair, he tried to kill all of us at some point,” I said.

Laurence launched himself up and started pacing across the room. “Even better!”

“It’s how we’re going to help Kay,” I said. “I have all the other ingredients. We just need Xaver’s damned blood on the solstice, and we’re good to go.”

When I turned to my friend, I noticed her looking a bit flushed. “Why don’t you go take that shower, Kay?” I offered. “Laurence and I will keep watch, and then we’ll head out when you’re done.”

She nodded and disappeared into one of the rooms down the hall. Not even a minute later, the water to the shower turned on.

“You really should do a better job at keeping her relaxed,” I said to Laurence. “She’s been through enough already. We have to stay positive for her.”

“So what now? Do you have a plan?” he asked.

“Not exactly… Not yet anyway, but we can’t let Kay see how scared we are for her. It’ll only make things worse.”

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